The READY Report

December 2025

Because of You, More Rochester Students Have

Access to Quality Schools

As 2025 comes to a close, we are deeply grateful to the funders, partners, and champions who made this year of progress possible. Your investment in READY is helping build the conditions Rochester needs to expand access to quality public schools—and to ensure those schools can thrive.

Expanding Access

In 2025, READY-supported school investments and partnerships reached more than 475 students, while the READY Design Studio strengthened the pipeline of future quality school seats by advancing community-driven school models from idea to implementation. Your support makes it possible to design, launch, and grow schools that respond to the needs of our community.

Building Talent

This year, your support helped ten READY Teaching Academy high school scholars have meaningful learning experiences to strengthen Rochester’s homegrown educator pipeline. By funding paid experience and college credit-bearing opportunities, you are removing barriers and cultivating a new generation of educators who are committed to serving Rochester.

Equipping Families With Power and Voice

As of year-end, more than 6,000 community members used the READY School Finder to navigate school options, while 24 parents and caregivers completed the READY Parent ACTION Academy—emerging as informed, confident advocates for better schools and systems. Your investment ensures families have the information, leadership development, and voice needed to shape education decisions that affect their children.

Together, these outcomes reflect more than program success. They represent measurable progress toward our long-term goal: ensuring 10,000 Rochester students have access to quality schools by 2034.

Thank you for standing with READY and for believing in what’s possible when communities lead.

Yours in service,

Shanai Lee, MBA, EdD

Founder and Executive Director

READY, Inc.

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Help Us Carry This Momentum Into 2026

The progress you see above exists because supporters like you chose to invest in Rochester’s students, families, and educators.

But the work is not finished.

Today, only 1 in 10 Rochester students has access to a quality school. Each year without action leaves more children navigating schools that fall short of what they deserve.

Your year-end gift to READY helps us accelerate what’s working:

Expand access by supporting the design, launch, and growth of new, community-driven schools
Strengthen talent pipelines so Rochester classrooms are led by prepared, committed educators
Equip families with the information, leadership, and voice needed to shape policy and systems to strengthen Rochester schools

As we look ahead to 2026, your generosity will allow READY to increase access to quality schools - and deepen our work across talent, policy, and family engagement to ensure quality schools thrive.

Will you make a year-end gift today? Every contribution—one-time or monthly—signals what kind of future Rochester’s children deserve.

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Stay Connected: Follow READY on Social Media!

Stay connected to the bold ideas and real-time progress reshaping education in Rochester. Follow READY on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to stay up-to-date on our latest work, hear powerful stories from the field, and learn how you can help create more quality school options for Rochester’s students.

Give. Launch. Transform. Let's build the future together!

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